Niger Iter Itineris
by runnybabbit96
Summary: You are not going to believe any of what’s about to happen to you. It’s all crazy stuff, so pinch yourself now, ‘cause you’re not dreaming."she said, as she walked out of the forest into a small clearing containing only a huge weeping willow.
1. Charlie Farse

Charlie Farse was a curious little twelve year old. Always scurrying around in the forrest that was practically his backyard, looking for bugs and plants he could inspect. On that one particular day, though, he was no where to be found. His father looked in his usual woodland spots and even checked with the neighbors. No one had seen little Charlie. Frantic, the father ran into the woods and searched for hours, with no sign of his precious child. It was beginning to get dark, as night was approaching rapidly. With one final effort, the man took another lap around the small part of the forrest. To his surprise, he stumbled upon his boy, sleeping in a small patch of dead grass. Or at least, his father thought he was asleep. The father ran to the boys side, and saw his chest rising and falling in a slow motion. Relieved, the man started whispering to the boy, trying to wake him up. But Charlie could not wake up. He was in some sort of coma or trance, the father surmised, sadly. Glancing at the withered grass around his boy, the father noticed a small, leather bound journal underneath Charlie's stomach. Gently removing the journal, he tried to open it, but could not. Something was written in another language on the cover. Puzzled, the man tried to decipher it, but failed. Grabbing the book and his son, he walked off, heading to the hospital. They never reached it though, because the boy suddenly awoke, sullen and serious. Charlie was not Charlie anymore. He had been changed into something unimaginable to his poor father. Over the years, Charlie became much darker and yet much wiser, in a sense, as well. His father would catch glances of him in his room, huddled over the strange journal with bloodshot eyes and his dark hair falling in his face. His whole appearance had changed. His eyes had gone from light brown to an almost black. His hair had changed the most dramatically. Ever since the first night, streaks of black started to embed themselves among his blonde, until overrunning it completely. Now it was pure black, and when the light caught it on the right angle, it looked as though it was feathers. Feathers from the darkest raven.


	2. Death

44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Luke 23:44-46


	3. Natalie Drewson

Natalie Drewson, age 17, 1658

The young girl strode out of the woods with the stable boy, whom had been called "undesirable" and "a social outcast" by her parents. The girl, Natalie, could care less about what her parents told her. They had plenty of money, but did that make them the rulers of her life? Thousands of teenagers will tell themselves things sadly close to that, now to the end of this Earth. She believed that she was in love with this ratty little child. As they walked out onto the frozen pond, Natalie wondered if the pond was frozen enough to hold them both, but her thoughts were soon averted as the young boy kissed her for the first time. The outrageous joy and pleasure that filled her were short-lived, though. Right as Natalie was stepping towards him, the ice gave a loud moan and bonelike cracks started sprouting around them both. The boy started running off the ice, gripping Natalie's hand, but she was wearing multiple layers of gowns and coats, meant to keep her warm, that were restricting her leg movement. As she started to fall behind, the ice started to shake, more violently now, and the boy let go, more protective of his own puny life that he would not save his so called "true love". As Natalie realized this herself, she was filled with anger and resentment towards the child and failed to notice the fissures in the ice forming around her, separating her from the rest of the pond and from the rest of the mortal world forever. She plunged into the frigid water, the ice already filling the small gap in the ice she fell through, diminishing all hope of freedom. Weighed down by now meaningless rare and expensive fabrics, she began to sink down further into the unforgiving, frozen, blue wasteland that was about to become her final resting place.

Time of Death: 4:29 P.M.


	4. Death Glare, Literally

Charlie, now fourteen years old, stared around the lifeless classroom, avoiding the eyes of the other teens surrounding him. His teacher, Mr. Jackson, asked him to answer a question. Charlie mumbled the answer and, reluctantly, raised his eyes to look at his teacher. The moment their eyes made contact, a weird feeling fell over them both. To the teacher, it was just a feeling of doubt and uncertainty about his student but to Charlie it was completely different. He saw a plane, almost halfway through its trip, a worried pilot trying to navigate a thunderous storm, and his teacher, asleep in his coach seat. Then, a bolt of lightning, blinding the pilot, as he lost control and the plane spiraled downward to its demise. That was why Charlie was reluctant to make eye contact; so he wouldn't have to bear the knowledge of other people's fates. It started the day he found the Journal. When he awoke and wearily gazed at his father, he saw the chemo, the tests, the oncologist, the cancer itself. Heartbroken and distraught, Charlie believed that the Journal may tell him more about this cancer or may be even how to prevent it. He read day and night searching for the answer, becoming mad in the process. The Journal was terrible, so gruesome and unearthly. The more Charlie would read, the deeper he would slip into the grasp of darkness and depression. He didn't care about anything anymore, except of course his father and the Journal. He would search through every page, every entry, until he found his father. Charlie was sure he'd be in there, but could never find his father's entry. But what he did find was a torn out page and a note, which read,

"_My gracious Keeper, do not look for what you are seeking, for that is the only death you are not meant to know. Please keep my Journal safe, for these entries have great importance. To truly understand, read through each page, so you may realize how great of a gift you have truly been given. At the moment it may seem harsh and demeaning, but it shall not be that way for long, my Assistant, for I will guide you in unseen ways. Beware, though, for this will change your life forever. But do not worry, for you have been chosen for this specifically and will be able to withstand the Spirits. I am watching- past, present, and future_. "

There was what appeared to be a name signed at the bottom, but it had been smudged and wiped away so that all was left was a black ink spot, that almost reminded Charlie of a raven, perched upon a branch. He was puzzled by the note, but decided to take its advice and read the Journal, no matter how gruesome it was, for he had no other option. Charlie grabbed the Journal and sat on his bed with it, staring thoughtfully at the title on the front cover; "Niger Iter Itineris". How odd, Charlie thought to himself. Somehow, he knew it was Latin. Meaning what? He had no idea. Even more puzzled than before, he opened up the Journal and began reading from entry number one. He had only read one whole entry so far, and it was told as though the owner of the Journal had been there, at the pond with the girl who drowned. Was that even possible? he asked himself. But then, he remembered a part of the letter. " I will guide you in unseen ways." Charlie wondered who could possibly be unseen. A criminal or murderer, maybe? Rapidly ruling out that possibility, he started to read the antagonizing entries, before drifting into a pleasant sleep, a type of sleep he hadn't had in two years.

Charlie began dreaming of what seemed to be a meaningless event. He was sitting in a field of grass, half dead half alive, like after the harsh winter snow melts and allows springs life to come back, little by little. He gazed up at the sky, and saw two birds flying peacefully with each other. One was a pure, white dove and the other was aa harsh, black raven. Both birds looked majestic, circling the sky in the evening were flying so closely and in such a tight circle, that the almost looked like a half black, half white circle, except for their heads, making small bulges in the almost perfect black and white.


	5. Cobblestones and Ivy

Charlie began walking, walking, and walking. He didn't mind the cold, biting rain numbing his skin and soaking his bones through his thin hoodie.

(Here I lie forever)

Letting his thoughts run, he barely noticed where he was walking. His feet were carrying him, so that he appeared as though he was drifting. Floating along the cobblestone, pale as a ghost and seeming to be a ghost; that was Charlie.

(Sorrow still remains. Will the water pull me down and wash it all away?)

As he paced the tombstones and flowers of the looming cemetery, he saw a movement flashing by him near the woods. Instead of calling out to whatever it was, he approached the woods cautiously; unaware of what was secretly following his every move.

(Come and take me over. Welcome to the game.)

He heard a rustle just beyond the edge of the trees and decided, against better judgment, to investigate it.

(Will the current drag me down and carry me away?)

Suddenly, he felt a pull in his chest, not physical, for he could not see anything grabbing him or pulling him, but he was drawn to a tree that was only a few feet away. The tree was beautiful, low branches with ivy entangled all around, crawling about the tree much like a beautiful, but some how deadly, infection.

(Suddenly the light begins to change)

While admiring the trees low-lying branches, Charlie heard a noise from within the tree, and dismissed it, thinking it was only a squirrel or a chipmunk. But hearing it again and louder this time, Charlie started to wonder and looked up in the branches of the tree and saw a girl, about 15 or 16, maybe, crouching on a branch. She grabbed another branch and swung down, landing on the crunchy, dried leaves without a sound. Her black hair was long, and shaggy for a girl, with green eyes and a glare that, to Charlie, resembled the ivy he had seen on the tree, beautiful but still dangerous.

As she approached him, he felt that pulling in his chest become tighter, more intense. He was starting to wonder what this was and what was happening. If he told anyone about this, they would merely think he was speaking of a petty love for this girl, but that was not what he was feeling. The way she was studying him made him nervous. Then finally she spoke, "So it's you. I have waited all this time, and it's you. Let's hope you're more promising than you look." Charlie stared at her, confused, then he finally managed to utter a reply, "Excuse me? I think you have the wrong guy. I'm just going to umm.. Leave now… so bye." As he turned to walk off she grabbed his shoulder."So you're telling me you didn't feel that just then? That connection? You felt it. It's all over your eyes. We gotta work on that. Great. Well follow me." He stayed where he was momentarily, but could not deny that "connection" as she'd called it. Curious, he trudged along behind her, wanting to know who she was and where she was going and what she knew about me and what the connection was about. Sadly for him, Charlie already had an idea.

(Hopeless. Im falling down.)


	6. Ravens,Willows, and Greek Myth

"This is about the Journal, isn't it?" Charlie asked, still following the girl against right judgement.

"Yes. You searched it," she began, "for someone close to you, am I right?" Charlie nodded, unsure of where she was going with this."Alright, and you found a note, very strange, not very informative and a bit secretive? Don't answer that. The answer is all over those huge eyes of yours. Of course you did."

Tears were welling up in Charlie's eyes. Who was she to bring up the heartbreaking search for my fathers page. "Hey, kid, don't cry. It's going to end up ok. I can't exactly tell you why or how yet, but it will. Just wait it out, ok?"

"OK." He murmured, not wanting a girl to see him bawling like a little child. "So, who are you and where are we going?"

The girl smirked before responding. "The name on my birth certificate is Samantha. But we all can change our names if we want so now I'm Ivory. And who are you, kid?"

Now it was Charlie's turn to smirk." Well the name on my birth certificate is Charlie. But now I'm some guy who hasn't made up his mind about what his name should be. Sgwhmuhmawhnsb, for short." He said, sounding out every letter of the abbreviation as if it was really a word. Ivory laughed, and to Charlie even her laugh was dangerous, cutting, but still beautiful. Charlie even smiled himself, and he hadn't felt real happiness since he was twelve. Maybe I am like her, Charlie concluded.

"Oh! The answer to your other question is we are going right into the middle of this forest." She said, waving her arms around her, motioning to the trees surrounding the back of the cemetery. They walked in silence for a few seconds, until Charlie realized something. He was walking normally, but he made the loudest crunch on the dead leaves. Ivory made no noise at all.

"How are you doing that?" he asked her.

"Doing what?"She said, scrunching her eyebrows together slightly.

"Not making any noise on the leaves! It's practically impossible!" Charlie exclaimed. Ivory burst out laughing, much to Charlie's dissatisfaction.

"You are not going to believe any of what's about to happen to you. It's all crazy stuff, so pinch yourself now, 'cause you're not dreaming." She said, as she walked out of the forest into a small clearing containing only a huge weeping willow. The tree was magnificent in its own horrific way. The tree cast a shadow down onto the grass, and the grass within it appeared to be dead. As the sun moved and so did the shadow, the grass that came out of it appeared to be back to normal, and even fuller of life than before. But that wasn't the only element to the tragic beauty. Hundreds of night black ravens were perched among the branches. Charlie glanced over at Ivory to find her smiling at him, knowing how he was breathing the beauty of the awesome sight. As the pair reached the tree, all the ravens jerked from their branches and glided into the forest, only two of them remained on their perch. Ivory whistled, and on of them flew over to her. The other stayed on its branch, eyeing Charlie.

"Charlie, meet Jet, my raven." Ivory said to him, stroking the bird on its feathered back. The bird, Jet, squawked his greeting at Charlie then turned his attention back to Ivory. Charlie had already fixed his gaze upon the other raven, who was still watching him. Charlie wasn't sure why it was still there; all the others had flown away. As he caught the stare of the bird, only one word came to his mind. Jade. And as he thought that, he lost his vision, and total blindness enveloped him. He started blinking endlessly trying to bring back vision.

_Just keep your eyes closed for a moment._

A voice whispered in his ear. Charlie was sure no on else was here besides him and Ivory, but he took the advice. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opened them, his breath caught in his chest. He was in the tree, watching himself lie on the ground, while Ivory fussed over him. Where am I? Am I dead? Charlie wondered.

_No no silly. I just met you, I wouldn't let you die. I have waited thousands of years for this, for you. I'm Jade, your raven._

My raven? Charlie thought. The raven that was in the tree was in fact whose eyes Charlie was seeing out of.

_I'm here to be your partner. If you ever want to see out of my eyes, just think my name hard enough. You won't pass out every time. Only this first one. I think I should kick you out of here, because Ivory seems worried. Most people don't stay like that for so long._

Charlie felt as though he was being pulled from the chest away from the raven, and soon his vision went black again. When he woke up, he was surrounded by faces.

"Ivory! He's up!" a voice shouted from above Charlie. Ivory raced over and stood next to the boy who had called her over.

"Oh good you're up!" she said, as Charlie pulled himself out of bed. As he stood up, a handful of kids surrounded him. "Charlie, this is Rose, "she said pointing at a red haired girl who looked about twelve, "and Olive," a dark brown haired seventeen year old, "and Ever." She finished with the black haired girl who looked about sixteen. Then a tall, dark haired guy started to speak, "And I'm Skylar. This is Shawn. And you are…?" he finished, questioning Charlie.

"I'm," Charlie began, deciding on a name for himself. He'd never liked "Charlie" much. "well… I'm not really sure. I haven't decided yet." As Charlie finished, one girl, Rose, walked up to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"This," she began," is Paris."

"Like… from Troy?" Charlie asked. Rose shook, and her eyes had changed colors. When she had spoken to him, they were grey, but now they are a dark blue.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I said. How bad was it?" she asked.

"Rose gets little snips of info from our Leader. I guess he wants you to be called Paris, like the Greek prince. Interesting. Do you like it?" Ivory explained.

"Yea. It's pretty cool." Charlie replied. But he wasn't focused on the conversation. He knew a lot about Paris. He also knew about how it had been prophesied that he would be the cause of Troy's downfall. And in the end, he was.


End file.
